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Yamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 Underneath

Riding any kind of personal watercraft is a sure way to raise your adrenaline level when out on the water. These days, it's not unusual for a PWC to hit 60 mph. That might not sound like much if you're used to driving fast cars or riding motorcycles, but speed feels different when you've also got waves to worry about. Still, that didn't stop this Washington resident from doing something slightly crazy.
Yamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 Underneath 8 photos
Photo: Joel Arseneault
Yamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 UnderneathYamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 UnderneathYamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 UnderneathYamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 UnderneathYamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 UnderneathYamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 UnderneathYamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 Underneath
PWCs have been around for a few decades now, and they have continuously evolved over the years. With the automotive industry facing electrification these days, a company called Taiga Motors has announced the all-electric Orca PWC.

But until clear regulations will come into effect, we can still enjoy the last few days of ripping through the water on machines running on internal combustion engines.

You might remember the Belassi Burrasca luxury PWC that we showed you last year. The almost $60,000 unit is packing a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine that's capable of delivering up to 320 horsepower and a top speed of 74 mph (120 kph).

The more affordable Kawasaki Ultra 310LX is also rated at over 300 hp, thanks to a supercharged 1.5-liter engine. The high-performance version of the Yamaha Waverunner is still good enough to send chills down your spine, with a 250-hp engine on offer.

Yamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 Underneath
Photo: JetSki Brothers
Even with the supercharger system, the Yamaha engine reportedly weighs about 260 lbs (118 kg). So that makes you wonder if what you are about to see makes sense or not.

The Jetski Brothers are located in Washington, and they decided that using an engine from a car inside one of their PWCs would be a great idea. They've gone through several Chevrolet units before opting for a 6.0-liter V8, which is now powering their Waverunner.

This should be good enough for over 300 hp, which is more than what you would get from the standard Waverunner FZR engine. But then again, it's probably twice as heavy too. What you're about to see is not a portrayal of any academic research, but just some good old fun out on the water.

For the guys behind the project, performing this kind of engine swap has been a sort of lifelong dream. They have been documenting their PWC adventures for about five years now, but they first introduced the idea of an LS-swap in 2021.

Yamaha PWC Sounds Strange, There's a Chevy V8 Underneath
Photo: Joel Arseneault
After dialing everything in, they decided to give someone else the chance to experience all that torque. And this is where Canadian Youtuber Joel Arseneault comes into play.

He does look like he's had his fair share of going fast on water, so it comes as no surprise that we even get to see a drag race between him and one of the project owners. Maybe this build will inspire some of you to go out and start one of your own.

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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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